Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
David Mourns for Saul and Jonathan
1 Shortly after Saul had died, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and remained in Ziklag for two days.
David’s Song for Saul and Jonathan
17 So David intoned this song of lament about Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he gave orders[a] to teach the descendants of Judah the art of warfare,[b] as is recorded in the Book of Jashar:[c]
19 “Your beauty, Israel, lies slain on your high places!
O, how the valiant have fallen!
20 Don’t make it known in Gath!
Don’t declare it in the avenues of Ashkelon!
Otherwise, the daughters of Philistia will rejoice;
and the daughters of the uncircumcised will triumph.
21 Mountains of Gilboa,
let no dew or rain fall on you,
and may none of your fields be filled with plenty,
because in that place the shield of the valiant ones was defiled,
the shield of Saul without an anointing with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain,
from the blood of the valiant,
Jonathan’s bow would not retreat
nor would Saul’s sword return empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan, loved and handsome in life,
in death were not separated.
Swifter than eagles they were,
and more valiant than lions.
24 Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul!
He clothed you in scarlet luxury
and decorated your garments with gold.
25 How have the valiant fallen in the tumult of battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26 I am in distress for you, my brother Jonathan.
You have been most kind[d] to me.
Your love for me was extraordinary[e]—
beyond love from women.
27 How the valiant have fallen!
How the weapons of war are destroyed!”
A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Mercy
130 I cry to you from the depths, Lord,
2 Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears pay attention
to what I ask of you![a]
3 Lord,[b] if you were to record iniquities,
Lord, who could remain standing?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits,
and I will hope in his word.
6 My soul looks to the Lord
more than watchmen look for the morning—
more, indeed, than[c] watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is gracious love,
along with abundant redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its sins.
7 Indeed, the more your faith, speech, knowledge, enthusiasm, and love for us increase, the more we want you to be rich in this work of kindness.[a]
8 I am not commanding you but testing the genuineness of your love by the enthusiasm of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.[b] Although he was rich, for your sakes he became poor, so that you, through his poverty, might become rich.
10 I am giving you my opinion on this matter because it will be helpful to you. Last year you were not only willing to do something, but had already started to do it. 11 Now finish what you began, so that your eagerness to do so may be matched by your eagerness[c] to complete it. 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift[d] is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you do not have.
13 Not that others should have relief while you have hardship. Rather, it is a question of fairness. 14 At the present time, your surplus fills their need, so that their surplus may fill your need. In this way things are fair. 15 As it is written,
“The person who had much did not have too much,
and the person who had little did not have too little.”[e]
Jesus Heals a Woman and Resurrects a Girl(A)
21 When Jesus again had crossed to the other side in a boat,[a] a large crowd gathered around him by the seashore. 22 Then a synagogue leader named Jairus arrived. When he saw Jesus,[b] he fell at his feet 23 and begged him urgently, saying, “My little daughter is dying. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.” 24 So Jesus[c] went with him. A huge crowd kept following him and jostling him.
25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. 26 Although she had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all of her money, she had not been helped at all, but rather grew worse. 27 Since she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his robe, 28 because she had been saying, “If I can just touch his robe, I will get well.” 29 Her bleeding stopped at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her illness.
30 Immediately Jesus became aware that power had gone out of him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 His disciples asked him, “You see the crowd jostling you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But he kept looking around to look at the woman who had done this. 33 So the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came forward fearfully, fell down trembling in front of him, and told him the whole truth.
34 He told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed from your illness.”
35 While he was still speaking, some people[d] came from the synagogue leader’s home[e] and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?”
36 But when Jesus heard[f] what they said, he told the synagogue leader, “Stop being afraid! Just keep on believing.” 37 Jesus[g] allowed no one to go further with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus[h] saw mass confusion. People[i] were crying and sobbing loudly. 39 He entered the house[j] and asked them, “Why all this confusion and crying? The child isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” 40 They laughed and laughed at him. But when he had driven all of them outside, he took the child’s father and mother, along with the men who were with him, and went into the room[k] where the child was.
41 He took her by the hand and told her, “Talitha koum,”[l] which means, “Young lady, I tell you, get up!” 42 The young lady got up at once and started to walk. She was twelve years old. Instantly they were overcome with astonishment. 43 But Jesus[m] strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give her something to eat.
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